Apple Watch 2

The second-generation Apple Watch is expected to debut sometime in 2016, likely late in the year. Head over to our Apple Watch roundup for all of the details on both the next-generation model and the current one.

'Apple Watch 2' Articles

Byte, a small British shop that sells Apple-certified accessories and repair parts for iOS devices, has shared new photos and a video that appear to show the Apple Watch 2's thinner display technology and larger battery.
Photos: Apple Watch 2 parts on left, original Apple Watch parts on right
The Apple Watch 2 display looks slightly thinner than the original Apple Watch display when placed side by side, although the second-generation Apple Watch could very well have the same overall thickness as the original model due to the rumored inclusions of a GPS, barometer, and thicker battery.
The battery shown is rated for 1.28 watt-hours, which is identical to the battery that surfaced last week. If accurate, that means the 42mm Apple Watch 2 will have a 334 mAh battery that is 35.7% larger than the 246 mAh battery in the original 42mm model. The battery for the 38mm model has yet to be leaked.
Also shown is the alleged Force Touch gasket for the Apple Watch 2, which appears to have a new chip alignment but otherwise no discernible differences.
Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch 2 alongside the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and spec-bumped Apple Watch 1 models at its September 7 event next week. In addition to a GPS and barometer, other rumored Apple Watch 2 features include a faster processor and improved waterproofing.

A purported photo of a larger 334 mAh lithium-ion battery destined for the Apple Watch 2 has surfaced on Chinese microblogging service Weibo, foreshadowing expected battery life improvements coming to the wrist-worn device.
The battery is allegedly for the 42mm model, which currently has a 246 mAh battery, suggesting the next-generation 42mm model could have a 35.7% larger battery. The photo does not provide any clues about potential battery life improvements coming to the smaller 38mm model, which is currently equipped with a 205 mAh battery.
The veracity of the photo cannot be confirmed, as is often the case, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said an Apple Watch 2 with a higher capacity battery will launch later this year. The larger battery should unsurprisingly lead to longer battery life for the Apple Watch, which is currently rated for up to 18 hours of mixed usage and up to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode on a single charge.
The much-rumored Apple Watch 2 is expected to be released in late 2016 with a faster TSMC-built processor, GPS, barometer, superior waterproofing, and a higher capacity battery -- but no cellular. Both 38mm and 42mm screen sizes will be retained with thinner display technology adopted. The device could launch in September alongside the iPhone 7 and spec-bumped Apple Watch 1 models.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a research note to investors today in which he predicts an all-new Apple Watch 2 will likely launch in the second half of 2016 with a faster TSMC-built processor, GPS, barometer, superior waterproofing, and a higher capacity battery.
Kuo, well connected within the supply chain, believes the second-generation Apple Watch will retain the same screen sizes and thickness as existing models, with a similar form factor overall, despite adopting thinner display technology. However, while the Apple Watch 2 was once rumored to include cellular connectivity, Kuo does not expect LTE support until 2017.
The analyst also predicted that upgraded first-generation Apple Watch models will debut in the second half of 2016 with similar processor and waterproofing upgrades, but likely without the Apple Watch 2's most significant additions like a GPS and barometer. Kuo expects another Apple Watch price cut once the new models are launched, but remains conservative about prospective shipments in 2017.
Apple Watch shipments could rise further between 2018 and 2020, pending significant form factor changes, FDA approvals supporting more medical and health applications, and 5G network commercialization, according to Kuo.
Apple has been pushing iPhone and Apple Watch sales together, so updated models of each device launching in tandem would be appropriate. The tentatively named iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are rumored to launch on September 16, with pre-orders possibly starting a week earlier on September 9, so all-new Apple Watch 2 and upgraded

Nearly fifteen months after the Apple Watch launched in the U.S. and eight other countries on April 24, 2015, new data shows that sales of the device have yet to experience an overly precipitous decline so far this year.
Swiss bank UBS has issued a research note that projects Apple Watch sales totaled 1.7 million units in the June quarter, a somewhat surprising increase of 100,000 units compared to its estimate of 1.6 million sales in the March quarter.
Apple Watch sales have remained steady throughout the first half of 2016, despite the formation of an elongated refresh cycle that will likely reach at least 17 months -- the so-called Apple Watch 2 is rumored to launch in the third quarter, possibly alongside the next iPhone in September. The new Apple Watch could feature a FaceTime video camera, expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, cellular connectivity, and other internal upgrades, while new models and bands are always possibilities.
UBS forecasts that Apple Watch sales will rise to 2 million in the September quarter, contributing to a total of 10.35 million units in the 2016 fiscal year. If those estimates are accurate, that would make Apple Watch the most popular smartwatch for the second consecutive year, ahead of Samsung among smartwatches and only behind Fitbit and its cheaper fitness trackers in the broader wearables market. Apple Watch commanded a leading 52.4 percent share of the smartwatch market in the first quarter, well ahead of Samsung at 14.3 percent, according to Strategy Analytics.
Apple does not disclose Watch sales in its quarterly earning results,

Apple has stepped up procurement of chips and components for the second-generation Apple Watch, according to sources from the supply chain (via DigiTimes).
Shipments of chips and components for the second-gen Apple Watch are reportedly set to begin in the third quarter, indicating a launch later this year.
Orders for the upcoming Apple Watch have been higher-than-expected, according to the sources, after what they called "disappointing sales" of the first-gen smartwatch. Despite that, Apple's pull-in of orders is said to be "rather aggressive", and the sources estimated that about two million units of the new Apple Watch could be shipped monthly.
Taiwan-based website DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, but its sources within the upstream supply chain have proven reliable in the past.
Rumors had initially suggested Apple would introduce the second-generation Apple Watch in March 2016 with shipments of the device set to begin in April 2016, but a conflicting report confirmed the Apple Watch 2 would not be ready for a spring launch.
A rumor out of the Asian supply chain in January suggested work on the next-generation Apple Watch was already underway, with Quanta working with Apple on the development of the device. Trial production on Apple Watch 2 was rumored to have started in January, with full production beginning in mid-2016 in preparation for a fall launch alongside the iPhone 7.
Apple is said to be working on implementing cellular network connectivity and a faster processor. Built-in cellular

In a new article centered on the first-year sales of the Apple Watch, The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is working on including cellular network connectivity and a faster processor in the so-called Apple Watch 2.There are relatively easy fixes for some concerns. Apple is working on adding cell-network connectivity and a faster processor to its next-generation Watch, according to people familiar with the matter.The addition of standalone cell-network connectivity onto the wrist-worn device could bring some benefits to users, particularly those who are frustrated with the current generation's heavy reliance on a tethered iPhone to provide basic iMessage and phone call functionality. Although such a feature would undoubtedly require an additional data plan, on top of one they might already have for both the iPhone and iPad, benefits like using GPS, making phone calls, and streaming Apple Music without an iPhone nearby could outweigh the cons for some users.
The new hints given for the next-generation Apple Watch come on the heels of a collection of rumors that point to the upcoming version of Apple's wearable gaining much-requested independence from the iPhone. Apple began implementing a third-party push for iPhone independency by announcing that all watchOS apps submitted to the App Store after June 1, 2016 will be required to be native applications.
Such updates to watchOS, which Apple introduced in watchOS 2, allow the wearable device to open apps more quickly and provide a smoother experience to users, instead of having to transmit data back and forth

With the Apple Watch 2 expected to launch in the second half of 2016, supply chain informant DigiTimes reports that Samsung and other overseas manufacturers have secured component orders for the next-generation device.
Taiwan-based Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will fulfill the majority of system-on-a-chip production, while Amkor Technology and STATS ChipPAC will share a portion of remaining orders, according to the report.
Meanwhile, additional Taiwanese supplier Kinsus Interconnect Technology is said to have secured Apple Watch 2 substrate orders, and Samsung Electronics will reportedly fabricate the Apple Watch 2's processor, consisting of mobile DRAM, NAND flash, and other chips. Both Kinsus and Samsung provide components for the original Apple Watch, which is powered by Apple's custom-designed S1 chip.
Previous reports indicated that Quanta Computer will likely remain the key Apple Watch 2 manufacturer. The supplier reportedly began trial production of the second-generation watch in January, in time for a purported late-second-quarter launch around June. Volume shipments were said to begin in the third quarter, which could be any point between early July and late September.
Opportunities for Apple to introduce a second-generation Apple Watch include its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, or its annual iPhone introduction event in September. The original Apple Watch was announced in early September 2014 and released in late April 2015, suggesting an elongated 14 to 19 month release cycle between models that may help avoid consumer

Apple analyst Brian White of Wall Street firm Drexel Hamilton, who is currently on a Chinese tech tour, today issued a pair of research notes highlighting his upcoming Apple Watch and iPhone expectations through the end of 2016.
Foremost, White cites a source who believes only the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus will feature a dual camera system, echoing the same prediction made by often-accurate KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this week.
The analyst claims that iPhone 7 production is expected to begin in July, and the next-generation smartphone is expected to help Apple and its suppliers return to smartphone growth in the second half of 2016, just months after the iPhone likely experienced its first year-over-year quarterly sales decline ever. Apple announces its Q2 2016 earnings results on Monday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific.Our meeting with a tech supply chain company highlighted a rough end to 2015 with significant forecast reductions from Apple; however, forecasts have been stable since then with 2Q:16 expected to be the trough. After a YoY sales decline in 1Q:16, our contact expects to return to growth in H2:2016. Production of parts of the iPhone 7 are expected to begin in July.Meanwhile, White predicts that the Apple Watch could be refreshed within the next two to three months. He believes that a 20% to 40% thinner Apple Watch 2 could be unveiled by June, possibly at Apple's annual WWDC, which could take place between June 13-17 based on scheduled availability at Moscone West, the San Francisco convention center where the developer event is typically

A December rumor pointed towards a possible March 2016 event to unveil a next-generation Apple Watch, but information shared today by TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino suggests a redesigned second-generation Apple Watch will not be coming so early in the year. That conflicts with some recent rumors suggesting trial production on the Apple Watch 2 is set to begin soon.
Citing several sources with knowledge of Apple's plans, Panzarino says that while new design partnerships and accessories are a possibility for March, a second-generation Apple Watch is not expected. There is, however, a potential March event in the works, but it is not clear what would be launched at that time. New Macs and the rumored 4-inch iPhone 6c are possibilities.
Several things that I've heard (from several sources) indicate to me that we won't see a new hardware model of the Apple Watch in March. Design partnerships, accessories, that kind of thing maybe but not a "Watch 2.0" with a bunch of new hardware features like a camera. I could be wrong, of course, but I've heard enough to put it out there.To further back up his claims, Panzarino says supply chain checks have not indicated that production on a second-generation Apple Watch has begun and there's been no "major action" on the software development side that would point towards the possibility of a newly redesigned Apple Watch debuting in the next few months.As with anything related to Apple hardware announcements, the tea leaves are hard to read and the companies plans can change (the advantage of never publicly announcing hardware). But as

A new report out of China today points to an earlier than expected trial production of the unannounced "Apple Watch 2," expected to begin as soon as the end of January. According to Taiwanese website Commercial Times (via G for Games), the second generation of the Apple Watch will be manufactured by Quanta, which was also responsible for last year’s production of the original smartwatch.
Despite today's report of Quanta's eagerness to begin production on the Apple Watch 2, a rumor back in November suggested the company had a "weaker than expected" profit return on the original Apple Watch. As such, Apple may be searching for new suppliers of the device (in addition to keeping on Quanta to take the brunt majority of the line), including Foxconn, Wistron, and Inventec.
Although it has yet to be confirmed by Apple, rumors regarding the new Apple Watch include a thinner case, FaceTime camera, and an upgraded Wi-Fi chip for more independence from the iPhone. This week it was discovered that Apple has posted four job listings centered around health technologies, suggesting possible improvements on the first generation Apple Watch's health and fitness

Apple has posted at least four job listings since November seeking biomedical engineers and technicians to join the research and development arm of its Health Technologies team, reports BuzzFeed News.
Apple's current health and fitness initiatives include the Apple Watch, launched last April with a heart rate sensor and activity tracking, and ResearchKit, an open source medical research framework for clinical trials on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The rumored Apple Watch 2 is expected to launch in March with several improvements, possibly including a FaceTime Camera and expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, but Apple's health and fitness ambitions beyond its next-generation smartwatch remain open to speculation.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stirred speculation in November when he said that while Apple does not want to subject the Apple Watch to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, the company is not against the idea of putting adjacent products like apps or "something else" through the FDA.
Since then, Apple has made a number of hirings that suggest it may be working on a new health and fitness project.
BuzzFeed News also found that over the last three or so months, Apple has snapped up employees from the medical world, according to LinkedIn. For example, Anne Shelchuk, who has a doctorate in biomedical engineering, left ultrasound software company ZONARE Medical Systems for Apple’s health technology team in November. […]
Craig Slyfield, a mechanical engineer who’s co-authored several papers related to measuring and visualizing human bones in 3D, also joined

Apple may be planning to host an event in March of 2016 to unveil the next-generation Apple Watch, reports 9to5Mac citing sources with knowledge of Apple's plans. The updated device could then ship a month later in April, marking one full year between Apple Watch releases. Apple released the first-generation Apple Watch on April 24, 2015.
Rumors about the second-generation Apple Watch started leaking out well before the original Apple Watch launched, as there were health-related features Apple was forced to shelve because of inconsistent performance. Apple experimented with sensors for measuring things like skin conductivity, blood pressure, and blood oxygen, and some of these could make their way into the next-generation device following a year or work on improving the technology.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said the company's efforts in the health arena would be conservative, because it does not want to deal with the FDA. "We don't want to put the watch through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process," he said.
Other features rumored for the next-generation Apple Watch include a front-facing FaceTime camera to allow Apple Watch users to make and receive FaceTime calls and a new Wi-Fi chip that may allow the Apple Watch to do more without a connection to an iPhone.
Today's report on the Apple Watch also says the much-rumored iPhone 6c could also be unveiled at the event, in line with rumors that have pointed towards an early 2016 launch. The iPhone 6c is a next-generation lower-budget 4-inch phone designed to follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 5c.

Apple is currently searching for an additional supplier of next year's rumored Apple Watch 2, according to a new report from supply chain sources (via DigiTimes). The company is speaking with Inventec, Wistron and Foxconn Electronics to join Quanta Computer in the manufacturing of the next generation of the Apple Watch. The report cites a "weaker than expected" profit return for Quanta in regards to the first generation Apple Watch, which is causing a few of the targeted manufacturers to voice concern about supporting the long-term investment in the future device.
Quanta has invested heavily in equipment for Apple Watch's manufacturing, but its profit return from the device has been weaker than expected. This is a concern for the ODMs that have been approached as a secondary supply partner, the paper added. Also mentioned in the report is Apple's ordering of 4 million Apple Watch units for the fourth quarter of 2015, slightly down from the original 6 million planned in preparation for the holiday season since demand is "not as strong as expected." Still, the company expects sales for the wearable device to surpass 10 million units by the end of the year, before leading into the rumored launch period of the Apple Watch 2 sometime in the second quarter of 2016.
Today's news comes after Quanta Computer's chairman Barry Lam was reported to have commented on the impending manufacturing process of the Apple Watch 2, giving the device a launch window sometime late in Q2 2016 and higher volume shipments beginning in Q3. Little is known about the second generation Apple

Quanta Computer is reportedly working with Apple on development of the next-generation Apple Watch, according to Chinese-language website United Daily News [Google Translate].
The report is based on recent comments made by Quanta Computer chairman Barry Lam, who allegedly said development of Apple's next wearable device is underway. Quanta assembles the current Apple Watch.
UDN claims the new Apple Watch will launch late in the second quarter of 2016, with volume shipments beginning in the third quarter.
If the rumored timeline is correct, the next-generation Apple Watch could launch by June 2016, with increased production towards mid- to late-2016. The current Apple Watch was announced in September 2014 and released last April.
A few months ago, Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri claimed the second-generation Apple Watch will launch in mid- to late-2016 and be thinner than current models. Few details are known about the upcoming device beyond a June report that said it will feature a FaceTime video camera and expanded Wi-Fi capabilities.
While a next-generation Apple Watch launching next year is realistic, UDN's report is questionable and should be treated with a proverbial grain of

Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri claims the second-generation Apple Watch will arrive in mid- to late-2016, reports AppleInsider. The report also claims that the second Apple Watch would be thinner than its predecessor.
Arcuri's research memo, based on a recent trip of Asian suppliers, also says Apple will ship 18 million Apple Watches by the end of 2015, with at least 45 million shipped in 2016. Although he also notes the figures for 2016 may be pessimistic based on the current data.
Thus far, very few rumors have emerged about Apple's next Apple Watch. In June, it was reported that the second Apple Watch would feature a FaceTime camera, expanded Wi-Fi and new materials. The new Wi-Fi chip would allow the Watch to do more without an

Apple is planning a second-generation Apple Watch with new features including a front-facing FaceTime video camera, expanded Wi-Fi capabilities and possibly additional models based on new materials, according to 9to5Mac. The report claims the so-called "Apple Watch 2" is likely to be introduced in 2016 following the release of WatchOS 2 and native Apple Watch apps in the fall.
The new FaceTime camera will reportedly be built into the Apple Watch's top bezel and enable users to make and receive FaceTime calls on their wrists. Apple previously announced at WWDC that WatchOS 2 will have a new FaceTime Audio feature for Wi-Fi-based calling, and the new software also enables Apple Watch users to answer or reject FaceTime video calls through a paired iPhone.
A new Wi-Fi chip inside the Apple Watch 2 will expand the wrist-worn device's iPhone-free Wi-Fi capabilities for basic tasks, possibly including text messaging, emailing and up-to-date weather data. The new wireless chipset will also enable Find my Watch for tracking a lost, stolen or misplaced Apple Watch using Wi-Fi router triangulation technology as opposed to GPS.
Despite gaining several new features, the Apple Watch 2 will likely have similar battery life as the original model. The report claims that Apple has conducted market research and determined that, despite early concerns, most customers are satisfied with their Apple Watch's battery life, allowing Apple engineers to focus their efforts on other areas besides battery improvements.
Apple is also said to be exploring different Apple Watch variations

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